Tru spent the last week at Astronomy Camp in Tucson, Arizona. This camp is offered through the University of Arizona, and it is a great opportunity for teen astronomers to receive hands-on experience in something they love. Tru was so excited to be going to camp, but he was nervous too. It was his first experience of being away from home for so long, but he did great on his own.

The camp is very academic and the kids were scheduled from morning through the night. I was surprised and impressed by how much they got done. Here is the schedule from just one day that they were there.

The kids stayed in dorms on top of Kitt Peak surrounded by a variety of telescopes and learning opportunities.

This is the dorm Tru stayed in.

The view from Kitt Peak

One of the telescopes they got to use.

The solar telescope which Tru loved.

The campers also had an opportunity to ask a question to an astronaut on the International Space Station. This was the first time in the camp’s history that campers had this opportunity. Unfortunately not everyone had a chance to pose a question, but Tru was lucky enough to be able to. He was very nervous about asking his question, but he did it.

Tru waits to pose his question. This photo is from a news article that you can see here. Credit to Kelly Presnell.

Tru had a great time, but he was ready to go home by the time we picked him up. He was so tired, as were most of the campers. I was ready to have him home too, but thankful for the opportunity he had, which would not have been possible without the scholarship that he received. Over 50% of the students there also received a scholarship, so if you would like your child to attend but do not think you could afford it I encourage you to apply. It was a life-changing experience for Tru, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.